Zero key locking arrangement for a ten key calculator



Sept. 1, 1970 A. HESSE ETAL ZERO KEY LOCKING ARRANGEMENT FOR A TEN KEY CALCULATOR Filed Aug. 20, 1968 0 k 3 2 @8233 2:52.32 5333 a u u m a a u a u a a m @3333 M 7, 1 2533 Q P u 252:5 Q 9 u n m (E533 Q 5 u h 5 323 Q 2 1 E n u f 3. 2:5 q n i @3333 B: W :3232 HI'HHIV HLHHWHH m M m 8% 7m 1 m o H (l IKILII. m U \/v )1 0 F G 7 7 3 4 Fla:

INVENTOR 7 14 .41 Hag; g n-La 0% frifllc: ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,526,356 Patented Sept. 1, 1970 US. Cl. 235--60.28 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The zero keys of a ten key calculator are blocked in an initial position of the pin carriage, and also in the ordinal positions of the pin carriage associated with the lowest orders, in order to prevent a reduction of the capacity of the calculator by operation of the zero key in the respective positions of the pin carriage.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an improvement of the zero key arrangement of ten key calculators provided with a pin carriage or like input storagemeans.

In calculators according to the prior art, the zero keys can be operated in such a manner that the capacity of the pin carriage is reduced which may cause an exceeding of the input capacity for which the capacity of the pin carriage is designed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome this disadvantage of known ten key calculators, and to prevent operation of zero keys which would reduce the capacity of the pin carriage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction for blocking the zero key in certain positions of the pin carriage.

Another object of the invention is to avoid a loss of time when a division is carried out on the calculator by the introduction of one or several zeroes before the actual numerical value is entered, particularly in calculators of the type in which upon start of a division, first the first order of the pin carriage is automatically placed to cooperate with the highest order of the dividend in the result register, as described in the German Pat. 1,153,922.

With these objects in view, one embodiment of the invention comprises a pin carriage including a frame structure and a series of ordinal rows of settable pins which include digital pins and zero pins, means for supporting and moving the pin carriage in one direction between an initial position and a series of ordinal positions, at least one zero key means for operating the zero pins, and stop means secured to the frame structure in such a position that the Zero key means when operated in the initial position, and preferably also when operated in the lowest order position of the pin carriage, is blocked by the stop means.

The stop means is disposed on the frame structure of the pin carriage in a row of zero pins, and may be located following the zero pin of the highest order, or in a position replacing the zero pin of the lowest order.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, a plurality of zero key means is provided with first operating parts cooperating with the stop means in the initial position of the pin carriage, and second operating parts cooperating with the zero pin of the lowest orders in the initial position of the pin carriage, and being blocked by the stop means in the lowest ordinal position of the pin carriage. In this embodiment, the zero pin of the lowest order is longer than the stop means, and can also be operated by a decimal point key when the pin carriage is in the initial position.

This arrangement permits in a very simple manner, the entering of a numerical value smaller than one by operating the zero pin of the unit order in the initial position of the pin carriage by the decimal point key, while the zero keys are blocked by the stop means in the initial position of the pin carriage.

In another embodiment of the invention, the stop means replaces the zero pm of the lowest order, and each of the zero key means has only one operating part, the operating parts all registering with the stop means in the initial position of the pin carriage.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating a pin carriage provided with a zero key arrangement according to one embodiment of the invention, the zero keys and a decimal point key being shown in a schematically displaced position as indicated by chain lines;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the zero key of the lowest order of the embodiment of FIG. '1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating the zero key of a higher order of the embodiment of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a stop means replacing the zero pin of the lowest order in accordance with another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring first to the embodiment of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a pin carriage 7 has a frame structure comprising two side walls 13 and 14, and top and bottom plates 7a and 7b. The side walls 13 and 14 are guided for movement on a stationary guide shaft 15, and the other end of the pin carriage is guided on a rail 8. A spring 16 is secured to a projecting part 70 of the pin carriage and also to a stationary structure 30 which is schematically shown, and also supports shaft 15 and rail 8. FIG. 1 shows pin carriage 7 in an initial position XIII, and upon releasing of arresting means, not shown, pin carriage 7 moves stepwise from the initial position to an ordinal position associated with the highest order, then in a descending series of orders, and finally to ordinal positions associated with the lowest three orders I, I I, III, the position of the pin carriage in the third lowest order being shown in chain lines at '7 and the positions of side wall 13 in the lowest two orders II and I being also schematically indicated by chain lines.

The pin carriage has twelve ordinal rows of digit keys 10 and in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, a zero pin 12 is provided at the end of the ordinal row of the lowest order, and zero pins 11 are provided at the ends of the other ordinal rows of pins 10. Zero pins 11 are longer than the digit pins 10, and zero pin 12 of the lowest order is even longer.

A stop means 23, having the same length as zero pins 11, and being aligned with the same and with zero pin 12 in a transverse row parallel to the direction of movement of the pin carriage, is secured to side wall 14 of the pin carriage. When pin carriage 7 is in the ordinal position I, stop means 23 is located in the same position as zero pin 12 is located when the pin carriage is in the initial position XIII.

Three zero keys 1, 2, 3 are mounted on key levers 4, 5, 6 which are supported for pivotal movement on a pivot 9 secured to the stationary rail 8. The zero keys 1, 2, 3 also have other portions 4a, 5a, 6a connected with levers 4, 5, 6 and being slanted to the same. For the sake of space, zero keys 1, 2, 3 and parts of portions 4, 5-, 6 and 4a, 5a, 6a are shown spaced from the actual position, as indicated by chain lines.

Key levers 4, 5 and 6 have ends provided with first operating parts 20, 21, 22 which respectively register with stop means 23 in the initial position XIII of the pin carriage. Members 4a, 5a and '60 have second operating parts 17, 18 and 19 of different lengths. All three operating parts 17, 18 and 19 register with the zero pin 12 of the lowest order, operating parts 18 and 19 also register with the zero pin 11 of the second order, and operating part 19 also registers with zero pin 11 f the third order in the initial position XI-II of the pin carriage.

When pin carriage 7 has travelled to the position I, stop means 23 is located in the position in which zero pin 12 is shown in FIG. 1, and consequently registers with all three second operating parts 17, 18 and 19'.

In the ordinal position XIH, an attempt to operate zero keys 1, 2 or 3 will cause pivotal movement of levers 4, and 6 together with the first operating parts 20, 21, 22 which engage the lower surface of stop means 23 and block movement of the zero keys so that the second operating parts 17, 18, 19 cannot move downward to set zero pin 12, or the two following zero pins 11. When the pin carriage is in the position I and stop means 23 assumes the position of zero pin 12, an attempt to operate zero keys 1, 2,, 3 will cause downward movement of the operating parts 17, 18 and 19 which are blocked by engaging the top surface of stop means 23. In the ordinal position II only zero keys 2 and 3 are blocked, and in the ordinal position III only zero key 3 is blocked.

A decimal key 24 has a key lever 25 provided with an operating part 26 located to register with the zero pin 12 in the initial position XIII of the pin carriage. Zero pin 12 must be longer than stop means 23 to provide a space for the operating portion 26 of the decimal key. In the ordinal position I of the pin carriage, when the three zero keys 1, .2, 3 are blocked by stop means 23, decimal key 24 is not blocked since its operating part 26 does not register with stop means 23, as is apparent from FIG. 3. Since the zero keys 11 are also shorter than zero key 12, the decimal point key 24 is not blocked in the intermediate ordinal positions of the pin carriage.

The provision of a decimal point key 24 and its cooperation with the zero pin 12 permits it to enter into the pin carriage numerical values smaller than a unit.

The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 corresponds substantially to the embodiment described with reference to FIG. 1. The first operating parts 20, 21, 22 and the decimal point key means 24, 25, 26 are omitted, and zero pin 12 replaced by a stop means 27 having the same length as the zero pin 11, since no additional length for the decimal point key means 24, 25, 26 is required.

While stop means 27 blocks movement of the zero key means 1, 2, 3 in the initial position XIII of pin carriage 7, stop means 23 blocks the zero key means in the ordinal position I, and some of the zero key means also in the ordinal position II and III.

By operation of selected digit keys, not shown, and also by operation of the decimal point key 24 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, the arresting means, not shown, of pin carriage 7 is momentarily released and the pin carriage makes a step out of the initial position XIII under the action of spring 16. In the embodiment of FIG. 1, stop means 23 moves away from the operating parts 20, 21, 22 so that all three zero keys 1, 2, 3 can be operated. In the ordinal position III, zero key 3 is blocked, in the ordinal position II, zero keys 2 and 3 are blocked, and in the ordinal position I, zero keys 1, 2 and 3 are blocked by stop means 23.

The zero key 3 can eiiect the simultaneous setting of three zero pins 11, and zero key 2 can effect the simultaneous setting of two zero pins 11. Assuming a capacity of the pin carriage of twelve orders, zero key 3 can be operated three times before the pin carriage arrives in the ordinal position III, and after operating part 22 is released by stop means 23 upon movement of the pin carriage out of the position XIII. Zero key 3 is blocked in the ordinal position III, zero keys 2 and 3 are blocked in the ordinal position II, and zero keys 1, 2 and 3 are blocked in the ordinal position I by the stop means 23.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, where a stop means 27 replaces zero pin 12, the zero keys 1, 2, 3 are blocked by engagement of operating parts 17, 18 and 19 by stop means 27 in the initial position XIII, and released in the following ordinal positions of the pin carriage until stop means 23 arrives in the ordinal position III under the long operating part 19 of zero key 3 which is thereby blocked. In the'ordinal position II, zero keys 2 and 3 are blocked since stop means 23 crosses both operating parts 18 and 19, and in the ordinal position I, stop means 23 crosses all three operating parts 17, 18, 19 so that all three zero keys are blocked. In the ordinal position III, zero keys 1 and 2 and all digit keys can be operated in order to reach the ordinal position 1, zero key 2 has to be operated once, or zero key 1 has to be operated twice.

When great pressure is applied on blocked zero keys 1, 2, 3, the respective levers 4, 5, 6 may be slightly resiliently deformed, and in order to prevent an undesired setting of zero-pins by blocked, but deformed zero key lever means, stop means 23 and 27, respectively are higher than zero pins 11, 12 so that an operating portion of a key means abutting, for example, stop means 23, cannot engage the top edge of a zero pin 11 or 12, as is apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of ten key calculators difiering from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in an arrangement for preventing setting of zero pins in end positions of a pin carriage, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. Zero key locking arrangement for a ten key calculator, comprising, in combination, a pin carriage including a frame structure and a series of ordinal rows of settable pins, said settable pins including digital pins and zero pins; means supporting said pin carriage for movement in one direction between an initial position and a series of ordinal positions; at least one zero key means for operating said zero pins; and at least one stop means secured to said frame structure for blocking said zero key means at least in said initial position of said pin carriage.

2. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein said zero pins form a row parallel to said direction and transverse to said ordinal rows; wherein said stop means is located at one end of said transverse row of zero pins; and wherein said key means include an operating part registering with said transverse row of zero pins and successively cooperating with said stop means and said zero pins during movement of said pin carriage in said one direction.

3. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein the ordinal row of pins of the lowest order is formed of digit pins, and the ordinal rows of the higher orders are formed of digit pins and zero pins; and wherein said stop means include a first stop disposed at one end of said ordinal row of the lowest order aligned with said zero pins and registering with said zero key means in said initial position of said pin carriage for blocking said zero key means in said initial position, and a second stop registering with said zero key means at least in the ordinal position of said pin carriage associated with the lowest order.

4. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 3 comprising a plurality of zero key means including operating parts of different length and registering with different numbers of zero pins, respectively, said operating parts of said zero key means all registering with, and being blocked by said first stop in said initial position, and by said second stop in said ordinal position associated with said lowest order.

5. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of zero keys including operating parts of different length and registering with different numbers of zero pins, respectively.

6. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said ordinal rows of pins includes a series of digit pins and a zero pin, said zero pins forming a row transverse to said ordinal rows and parallel to said one direction; wherein said stop means is located in said transverse row following the zero pin of the highest order; and wherein said zero key means includes a first operating part registering with, and blocked by said stop means in said initial position, and a second operating part registering with, and blocked :by said stop means in the ordinal position of said pin carriage correlated with the lowest order.

7. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 6 comprising a plurality of zero key means including first operating parts registering with, and being blocked by said stop means in said initial position, and second operating parts of different length registering, respectively, with different numbers of zero pins, said second operating parts all registering with, and being blocked by said stop means when said pin carriage is in the ordinal position correlated with the lowest order, and at least one of said zero key means being blocked by said stop means also when said pin carriage is in the ordinal position correlated with the second lowest order.

8. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 7 wherein said zero pins and said stop means are elongated in the direction of the ordinal rows of pins; and wherein said first and second operating parts of said zero key means are located adjacent each other along the length of said stop means.

9. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 8 wherein the longitudinal extension of the zero pin in the ordinal row correlated with the lowest order is greater than the longitudinal extension of said stop means, and of all second operating parts of said zero key means; and comprising a decimal point key means having an operating part registering with said zero pin of the ordinal row of the lowest order in said initial position of said pin carriage, and being ofiset and spaced from said stop means in the ordinal position of said pin carriage correlated with the lowest order.

10. Zero key locking arrangement as claimed in claim 7 wherein said stop means is higher than said zero pins so that said second operating parts of said zero key means cannot engage said zero pins when engaging said stop means and being blocked by the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,084,855 4/1963 Gassino 235-450 3,188,003 6/1965 Gang 235-- 3,323,717 6/ 1967 Bellis 235- 60 STEPHEN J. TOMSKY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 235-60, 

